Wednesday, March 14, 2012

dr. frankenstein

does it seem like everywhere you turn people are not only talking about pinterest, but they’re complaining about it, praising it, and lately—challenging themselves with it. i’ve seen a ton of “do something you’ve pinned!” type challenges. which i guess makes sense…if you love something, why not actually do it instead of just pinning random items to a “someday ::insert wistful sigh::” board.

the people who complain about pinterest? well, i get it. i really do. if you immerse yourself in all those photos of food and abs and ottomans and shoes and eyelashes…well, you could start thinking you’ll never be skinny enough or rich enough or witty enough. but in my head my pinterest boards are three catagories:

things i can do
these are recipes i can try, projects i can sew, home decor i can use for inspiration. even if it’s not a perfect copy, it’s a starting place. a jumping off point.

things i’m inspired by
this may be something i’ll never have—face it, after 5 kiddos i’m never going to have a flat muscular stomach. but seeing a before and after shot of a girl who sucked it up and DID IT and made a huge change in herself? that’s inspiration, right there. or maybe it’s a gorgeous designer gown. no i’ll never make it down the red carpet, so i have no need. but i can take a sleeve detail or a hem line or a neckline and use that inspiration to create something i do need (and love).

eye candy
and i guess this is where people get caught up. i pin things like this too—things so far out of my realm and unrelated to my everyday life that if you let yourself you’ll begin to hate what you do have. but for me—all it is is the above: eye candy. like a glossy magazine page i admire, and turn the page. and even the eye candy can sometimes make it into the “inspired by” catagory. but in reality i don’t foresee myself having hours to spend making mosaic swirls on my walkway or cause for a giant nest in my living room (as much as i might want it). doesn’t mean i can’t appreciate it.